Corn silker



April 24,` 1928. 1,666,933

o. H. HANSEN CORN SILKER Filed June 14. 1926 Zmm/ TToRA/Ex Patented Apr. 24, 1928. .y

UNITED vSTATI-:sV PATENT Oprima osWALnH. HANSEN, oF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, AssmNoR ro HANSEN c'ANNIN'a y MACHINEILY conroaa'rxom or*y CEDABBURG, KAvvjIscoNsIN, a coaPonA'rIoNk or WISCONSIN.,l

yconN sILxEn. f

V'Apputatnm med :une 14,1929. serial No. 115,114.

This invention relates in general to im vprovem'ents in the art of-separating fibrous from non-fibrous particles, 'and relates more specifically to an improved 'method of andapparatus for removing silk from corn.

An object of the invention is to provide ank improved process of silking corny or other material having similar characteristics. Another object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient-apparatus for carrying on the commercial exploitation of the improved process.

While various' attempts'have heretofore been made to remove silk fibres from the kernels of corn after removal thereof from the cob and prior to packing, all of-thesey prior efforts have proven commercially un.-.v

successful vand extremely .unsatisfactory,

either because of the relative ineliciency thereof, or because of theirrunsanitary nature, or because ofthe high costfof construe-- tion and maintenance of theapparatusanecessary for exploitation of the methods- The present invention contemplates provision of a highly sanitary, simple, andeiicient'method of removing all of the yobjectionable silk fibre from the corn kernels, automatically and with the aid ,of` relatively Asimple andeter, whereby even the extremely short pieces of silk are effectively removed, a result which cannot be obtained' withthe prior methods and apparatus. v w

A clearconc'eption of the severalste'ps of thel improved processvand of the construction and operation of one form of apparatus adapted to commercially exploit` the same., may be had by referring to the drawing accompanying and forming a, art of'rthisV specification in'Vwliichl like re erence charf acters designate the same or similar parts 1n the several vlews. .c

tical' longitudinal section through yan improved corn silker.

2 is. a diagrammatic vertical trans-v verse `section through the improved corn silker..

Fig. y1 is a somewhatv diagrammatic'ver- Fig. 3 isl a full size transverse section through one'of the separating elements or Wires utilized in theimproved corn silker.

yFig. 4 isla fullsize transverse section through oneof the separating'wires utilized Y. in the prior cornsilkers wherein wires were employed to remove the 'silk fibres-from the corn kernels. I

The improved Vcorn silker ndiagrammatically illustrated herein, comprises in general a supply hopper`2' having one ory more discharge nozzles 3 formed to precipitate a mixture of silk fibres and vcorn kernels down- Y "2; a pair of silk fibre receiving receptacles 13, 14 disposed one at each end of the cornv receptacle 12; and a plurality of superimf 'posed longitudinally movable elongatedele-Y ments or Wires 5, 6,7, 8 movable' through the spacebetween the supplyhopper 2 and thel receiving receptacle 12. VThe supply hopper 2 may be provided with a heater 4 kfor heatingthe contents of the` hopper in ank obvious manner. The` kernel receiving'receptacle 12 is disposed directly below, the

discharge nozzles 3, so as to receive the cornl kernels yprecipitated by gravity from these nozzles. Y

The superimposed longitudinally movable elongated elements are specifically disclosed as being endless wires 5,6, 7, 8 'of relatively small diameter, as compared to the relatively inefficient separating wires 20 previously employed in corn silkers and illustrated in Figi. 4. Each of the endless separating wiresis movably retained upon a pair of horizontally spaced sheaves 15 disposed above the silk receptacles 13, 14, the sheaves 15 being rotatably supported by'horizontal shafts 18 vmounted in bearings in the side frames 19.

The longitudinally movable stretches of the wires5, 6,V 7, 8 arepreferably disposed in different vertical planes thus presenting only limited spaces between the respective Wires when viewed i'rom above or in the direction oi precipita-tion of the material. 'lhe wires 5, 6, 7, 8 are vsimultaneously movable in the directions indicated by the arroivs in Fig. 1,

and at approximately the saine speed, byl

means oi a pulley and intermeshing spur gears 17 associated With the shafts 18 at one end ol,l the silker, and a scraper 9, 10 coacts With theluppcrjand lower stretch olf eachv Wire atopposite ends oit the device above the silk receptacles 13, 14. A spray nozzle ,1 1

wires while in-motion present the appearancev of longitudinally moving parallel edges or straight lines. 'll he supply hopper 2 is then provided with a mixture ot corn kernels 21 and silk :libres 22 which maybe mixed, with liquid and heated. Within the hopper 2 in order to sotten the libres. Alfter being properly conditioned Within the hopper 2, the mixture oif kernels and llibre is precipitated by gravity Yfrom the nozzles 3 and over the moving Wires located therebeloW. '.lhe corn kernels 21 because ot their shape, tumble past the moving` wires 5, 6, 7, 8` and drop directly into the receptacle 12, but the silk libres straddle and cling to the relatively thin moving Wires and' are thus transported to the oppositeends of the machine above the receptaclesl, 11i. The

adheringsilk libres 22 are continuously removed from the advancing Wires by the Scrapers 9,' 10 which deposit the removed libres into the silk receptacles 13, 14. The `sprays delivered against the Wires after removal. of the bulk ot the libres 22 by the Scrapers 9, 10, eti'ectively remove the small dit-ion the Wires lior iurther service. lt will thus be noted that the silk libres 22 are continuously and automatically separated from the lcorn kernels 21 While the separating mechanism is constantly maintainedin sanitary operating condition.

By heating 'the silk libres 22 prior to separation, these libres will be sol'tened to such an extent that they Will more readily cling toA the separating Wires. The usev oit continuous endless elements or Wires 5,6, 7, 8, enables utilization of relatively thin bands or Wires such as piano Wire, thereby `enabling the relatively short fibres 22 to vmore readily straddle the separatinr elements fand insuring more etlective separation. The Wires 5, G, 7, 8 need not necessarily be distopi'o'duce eli'ectiveyfseparation'of themate; 75

rials at `"extreniely moderate co'styf'y It should be understood that Vit is`not desi red to limit the invention to the exact steps 'otfthe process or 'toithe precise details of construction and operation of the apparatus B0 herein described and illustrated, for. various modilicationswithin the scope ot thef'claims Y mayV occur to Vpersons skilled in .the art; v It is claimed andtdesired to secure'by Let-e ters Patentz- L: 1. In'combination, a'series of superposed Wires ot difl'erent lengths, each of said Wires being shorter. than theV wire v `tlieiealoove,l means-tor longitudinally moving said' Wires,

means for dropping` amixture of` kernels and silk upon said Wires, and means for: re.-V nioving the silk from an end portion of eachtz oil said Wires vertically beyondftheendf :p0rtion oit' the Wire thereunder.

2. lnlcombination, a series of .superposed 195 endless Wires having substantially horizontal stretches -o'i' different lengths,.- '-the .stretches oitA the lower Wires being shorter l than thosefoi. ,the lWires thereabove, .meansA :tor longitudinally moving the stretches .of .100

saidvvires, means fory droppingga mixture ofy kernelsy andsilkmpon said stretches,v and means fory removing the vsilk from anjend portion of the stretchesoi' leach oi'said Wires vertically beyond:tlieend portion ofthe 105 Wireshaving oppositely movablestretches and being longer lthan the Wire directly` y y c therebelovv, means orlongitudinally moving particles oit fibre and linally clean and consaid stretches, means for dropping amix.- ture of kernels and silk yuponvsaid stretches While in motion, `and `means `forremovimg the silk from an end portion of each stretch of each of' said Wires vertically beyond the end portion of the Wire directly'thereunder."y 4. In combinatiom aseries .of superposed endless Wires having Vsubstantially horizoni 12e* from opposite end portions'of the,stretchesign` It is moreover not essential to 7u for longitudinally moving the of each of.'` said wires vertically 'beyond the parallel Vertical planes, means. for 1ongitudi-- nally moving the stretches of said wires,

means for" dropping -a mixture of kernels` and silk upon said stretches While inmotion, l0v

and av scraper for removing the silk fromeach of said stretchesvertically beyond the Wirestherebelow. V

, In testimony whereof, the signatureof the inventorr is affixed hereto. i OSWALD H. HANSEN. 

